Dhangadi, May 9

More than 25,000 children of school-going age are deprived of education in Kailali district.

According to statistics available at  Kailali District Education Office, a total of 19,287 children of school-going age in the district do not go to school. Of them, more than 15,000 are girls and a large number of them belong to freed tillers, Dalit and marginalised communities.

A large number of children are exploited at brick kilns, furniture industries, hotels and saw mills, among other work places.

Though the DEO launches student enrolment programme in the district every year, its impact has been negligible.

“Due to negligence on the part of schools, guardians and stakeholders concerned, a large number of children are deprived of education in the district. Hence, a chunk of the state’s budget allotted for education in Kailali goes to waste every year.

While officials at the District Education Office focus more on infrastructure development, training, symposiums and workshops, they do not care much about children’s studies,” said educator Dev Raj Bhatta. He added that no survey had been conducted about reasons why such children are deprived of education.

“A large number of children from five to 12 years of age are deprived of education in Kailali,” said District Education Officer Man Singh Bista. He said his office had launched various awareness programmes urging people to enrol their kids in schools, besides organising door-to-door campaigns and distributing informational pamphlets as well as brochures among locals.

Schools in the district pledge to deliver half-day meals, scholarships and quality education to encourage kids to stay in school.